Poland: the number of pigs decreased by 6%

The number of breeding sows decreased by 9.4% (-61.4 thousand heads) compared to December 2021 and amounted to 592.6 thousand heads, of which the number of pregnant sows decreased by 6.7% (-29.1 thousand heads) to 404.8 thousand heads. Compared to June 2021, the number of sows decreased by 13.7 thousand heads (by 2.3%), including pregnant sows - by 12.9 thousand heads, or by 3.1%.

Compared to the structure of the pig population registered at the beginning of December 2021, the share of pigs for slaughter increased in 2022 (by 2.2%). On the other hand, the share of piglets, sires and rearing pigs decreased by 1.3%, 0.7% and 0.2% respectively.

From January to November 2022 (according to preliminary data), imports of live pigs amounted to 6.39 million heads, which is 5.7% more than in the same period a year earlier, of which imports of piglets and producers increased by 4.3%. 

The largest shares of the national pig population belonged to the Wielkopolska (35.7%), Mazowieckie (12.8%), Lodz (10.1%) and Kuyavia-Pomorskie (8.8%) voivodeships. The voivodeships with the smallest shares were Lubuskie (0.7%), Podkarpackie (0.8%) and Lesser Poland (1.0%).

In December 2022, the price of live pigs at PLN 7.87 per kg was 6.0% higher than in the previous month and increased by 70.8% year on year.

The threat of African swine fever (ASF) remains. In 2022, the Main Veterinary Inspectorate registered 14 outbreaks of ASF among pigs, which affected 3064 animals.